ALABAMA. 



$130,000, the poll-tax retained by the counties 

 for the townships and race paying it, $124,597.- 

 08, and interest on the sixteenth-section fund, 

 $105,082.66. The principal apportionments of 

 the fund were, for the normal schools, $13,500 ; 

 to school districts, $258,099.52, and of course 

 the net poll-tax, as above indicated. Teachers 

 of white schools got $203,681.46; of colored 

 schools, $158,911.13 ; and county superintend- 

 ents got $11,871.92. The white Normal 

 School at Florence received $7,500 ; the col- 

 ored Normal at Marion, $4,000 ; and the col- 

 ored Normal at Huntsville, $2,000. Each one 

 of those schools is represented as doing well, 

 having made considerable improvements over 

 former years. The white Normal at Florence 

 reports on its catalogue for the year 201 pupils, 

 and there has not been a case of serious sick- 

 ness during the entire year, which closed un- 

 der circumstances gratifying to the friends of 

 the institution. Indeed, such a degree of pros- 

 perity and popularity has it attained that it 

 was found necessary to enlarge the accommo- 

 dations for an increased number of pupils. 

 Connected with the institution, eight teachers 

 are reported. While music is taught as in other 

 institutions, to those who desire to take lessons, 

 the whole school is required to join the vocal 

 music xjlass, and the board expresses satisfaction 

 at the pleasing effect of this feature of the insti- 

 tution. The Florence Normal School, present 

 and prospective, has never been in so prosper- 

 ous and pleasant estate. There are 100 of its 

 old pupils engaged in teaching in the State, and 

 many more are ready and waiting. 



The Lincoln Normal University, at Marion, 

 is reported to be in a flourishing condition. 

 The number of pupils was 140 76 females 

 and 64 males. Such has been the increase in 

 the number of pupils, that an enlargement of 

 the building has become an absolute necessity. 

 The report shows five teachers connected with 

 the school. 



The Huntsville Normal School (colored) is 

 also reported in a flourishing condition, the av- 

 erage attendance of pupils being larger than that 

 of any previous year. Professor William H. 

 Council, one of the most intelligent men of his 

 race in the State, is the principal of this school. 

 He has three assistant teachers. The average 

 paid teachers, per month, was white, $20.96 ; 

 colored, $23.62 ; the average of pupils to teacher 

 was whites, 33 ; colored, 46. The number of 

 white schools was 3,085, colored 1,512 total, 

 4,597- Number of white male teachers, 1,864 ; 

 number of white female, 1,230 total, 3,094. 

 Colored teachers, male, 1,080 ; colored female, 

 441 total colored, 1,521. The total number 

 of teachers was 4,615. Reading, writing, and 

 spelling were the principal branches taught. 



The total school population was, white, 217,- 

 320; colored, 170,449 total, 387,769. Number 

 of enrolled whites, 107,483 ; colored, 72,007 

 total, 179,490. Average attendance of white 

 was 67,794; colored, 50,184. Average length 

 of white schools in days, 83 ; colored, 67 ; the 



general average for white and black combined 

 being 80 days. 



The State Penitentiary, at the latest report, 

 contained' 540 convicts, of whom only 44 are 

 kept within the walls. 



The convicts for the most part are hired to 

 miners and farmers, most of them at $5 per 

 month. These are the first-class hands. There 

 is a second class that bring only $2.50, and a few 

 who are let for their " victuals and clothes." 

 The report shows, however, that as fast as the 

 $5 contracts expire new ones are made at $8 

 per month. It is worth noting here that the 

 sum of $45,000 has been paid into the State 

 Treasury during the two years. Within the 

 five years, under the present system, $81,000 

 have been paid into the Treasury, $36,000 of 

 State bonds canceled, besides building the 

 Wetumpka Branch Railroad, worth $12,921.20, 

 and making repairs and improvements on build- 

 ings and grounds worth $12,200. Under the 

 new contracts, the income to the State will be 

 largely increased. Under the old law, it cost 

 per capita about $59 for transporting con- 

 victs to the penitentiary ; now it costs about 

 $1.70. 



Out of the 540 convicts, there is but one 

 solitary white woman. This lone one is thirty- 

 five years old, and was sentenced to a term of 

 three years, for adultery. 



The number of white male convicts is only 

 69. The colored male convicts are 450, and 

 colored females 20. There are some children 

 among the colored convicts, the youngest be- 

 ing ten years, and is sentenced to seven years 

 for manslaughter. There is one twelve, one 

 thirteen, one fourteen, and quite a number 

 ranging from fourteen to twenty. The oldest 

 convict is seventy-five ; he is in for man- 

 slaughter, for five years. There is one seventy- 

 two years old, and is in for two years for assault 

 with intent to murder. The life-sentences are 

 51. The table of previous occupations of con- 

 victs shows 489 laborers, 9 cooks, 8 carpenters, 

 7 house-servants, 6 farmers, 3 blacksmiths, 2 

 engineers, 2 shoemakers, 1 hotel-keeper, 1 

 baker, 1 machinist, 1 jeweler, 1 brick-mason, 

 1 teamster, 1 sailor, 1 musician, 1 dentist, 1 

 painter, 1 school-master, 1 horse-trainer, 1 

 timber-worker, and only 1 doctor. The doc- 

 tor is in for life, for murder. The table of na- 

 tivity shows : Alabama, 338 ; Georgia, 44; and 

 the balance scattered, 3 being put down to 

 England, 2 to Germany, and 1 each to Ireland, 

 Switzerland, and Canada. The crime which is 

 most largely represented is burglary. There 

 are 170 burglars. Grand larceny and murder 

 stand next on the list, there being 106 names 

 under each of these heads. In former times 

 horse-stealing showed the largest number of 

 convicts, but that does not seem so popular a 

 business as formerly, there being only one 

 horse-thief. There are quite a number for 

 rape, and a few for arson, and nearly every 

 other crime has one or more representatives. 

 In the tables touching the conduct of the sev- 



